Bad news for anyone headed to Pawtucket tonight to catch Chien-Ming Wang pitch against the Triple-A Red Sox. The Yankees have called the rehabbing starter back to the Bronx, and he'll be in uniform for the Yankees' game against the Phillies on Friday night.
The Yankees have made the move as a precautionary measure in response to the line drive Joba Chamberlain took off his knee in the first inning on Thursday. Alfredo Aceves pitched 3 1/3 innings following Chamberlain's departure, leaving the team short a long man. There's also a chance that Chamberlain may be forced to miss his start on Tuesday night, so Wang could slot into that spot.
Manager Joe Girardi said before Friday night's game that Brian Bruney is also unavailable after having an MRI on his forearm. The scan showed no damage, but dye was injected which means he's not able to pitch. He admitted bringing Wang back ahead of schedule wasn't what they'd do in a perfect world.
"We used a lot of guys yesterday. We love the way he threw in the bullpen the other day. Right now he's in the bullpen. After that, I can't tell you. We have to be careful how we use him. ... We thought we had the luxury of sending him down for one more start and see where he was at. Well, our plans changed."
Girardi also said that Phil Hughes is still on track to start Monday, which would mean Wang could take his turn next Friday in Cleveland if he isn't needed as a replacement for Chamberlain. Getting him into a game this weekend could turn out to be a positive thing for the Yankees, though, because they'd get a chance to see him against big-league hitters before getting thrown right into the fire.
Jonathan Albaladejo, who gave up four runs on Thursday night, was optioned to Scranton to make room for Wang.
